Vision & Reality: The Impossible Gap?

The importance of organisations having a clear VISION to pursue GROWTH and help manage the challenges of a rapidly changing world has been the subject of much recent literature. Highly regarded researchers and authors such as Hamel ("Sustaining the Revolution"), Porras & Collins ("Built to Last") and Adizes ("Managing Corporate Lifecycles") have documented the success of "visionary" leaders in their pursuit of growth.

Local research over almost ten years has highlighted an interesting issue for business leaders attempting to keep their organisations healthy and growing.

Analysis of responses from over 500 organisations indicates there is often a gap between how the CEO and those at the top of the organisation view its state of health compared to others in the organisation. This can effect how well the corporate "vision" is understood and adopted throughout the organisation.

A well-researched diagnostic tool was used to gain insight into the question:

"Are we growing or ageing?"

Results of the survey questionnaire positioned organisations on a "Seven-Stage Lifecycle" model. This model shows the presence of Growing and Ageing characteristics and provided insight into the issues facing each of the organisations.

Feedback consistently indicated that some CEOs suffer from what researchers referred to as "The Vision and Reality Gap Syndrome!" In many cases CEOs have reported that they have a clear view of "what needs to be done" to adapt to the many challenges confronting their organisation. The reality is that the CEO's vision for the organisation is not always translated into day-to-day activities and results. Some of the common reasons for this are:

	The Vision has not been clearly communicated.
	The Vision creation process was not inclusive of the parties that needed to gain "buy-in".
	Those people responsible for implementation failed to see the "reward for effort" link.